Rocker arm construction



Oct. 30, 1951 C. F. BACHLE ROCKER ARM CONSTRUCTION Filed March 11, 1947INVENTOR Car/ E Bach/e PIE 1 30' mi V) A,

ATTOPNEYi Patented Oct. 30, 1951 ROCKER ARM CONSTRUCTION Carl F. Bachle,Detroit, Mich, assignor to Continental Aviation and EngineeringCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Virginia Application March11, 1947, Serial No. 733,900

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a rocker arm and its associated mechanism,particularly to a rocker arm such as is used with the overhead valves ofan internal combustion engine.

In conventional rocker arm and valve mechanisms, the rocker arm operateson a fulcrum which comprises a pin suitably located in relation to theother mechanism. The pin has to be secured in place, and the entiremechanism is one which consists of a large number of individual partswhich must be carefully assembled. Such mechanism necessarily involves aconsiderable expense, both in the manufacture of the component parts andin the assembly thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rocker arm which isitself a simple combination of a few elementary parts and which operateson a fulcrum which is integral with a cover plate, the cover plateproviding access to the rocker arm and valve mechanism.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in section substantially on line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of an internal combustion engine with thecover plate removed to show two rocker arms in position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a rocker arm made according to theinvention, and

Fig. 4 is a view in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

A cylinder head 2 of an internal combustion engine is shown as beingprovided with a valve push rod 4 which actuates valve stem Gthrough arocker arm indicated generally at 8.

Rocker arm 8 comprises a pair of metallic strips I and I2 which arejoined at their ends, as by brazing or welding, to form an elongatedclosed loop. In one end of the loop there is secured, as by brazing, aconcave bearing [4 which cooperates with the rounded end I6 of push rod4. In the other end of the loop there is provided a pin [8 which isintegral with a convex bearing 20. Bearing is in contact with the end ofvalve stem (i. Between the two ends of the closed loop, an arcuatelyshaped bearing 22 bridges the members l0 and I2 and is secured to themby any suitable means, such as brazing or the like.

Bearing 22 cooperates with a bearing surface on a downwardly extendingprojection 24 which is integral with a cover plate 26. Cover plate 26 isheld in place on cylinder head 2 by means of cap screws 28 extendingthrough the projection 24. It may be pointed out here that cap screws 28serve also to strengthen and stiffen the projection 24.

Push rod 4 is made hollow by means of a drilled hole 34 to provide apassage for oil. The oil flow; ing under pressure through the passage 34flows to the bearing I4 and serves to lubricate the common surface ofbearing [4 and rounded end l6. Bearing I4 is provided with twointersecting passages 36 and 38. Passage 36 opens onto the bearingsurface of bearing [4 and for most of the operating time of the engine,substantially registers with the end of oil passage 34. Passage 3'8opens onto that side of bearing [4 which faces the opposite end of therocker arm. Oil which squirts out of the passage 38 carries across tothe other end of the rocker arm and serves to lubricate the upper end ofthe valve stem which is in contact with convex bearing 20. To permitthis oil flow from the push rod end of the rocker arm to the valve stemend, the projection 24 is recessed as shown at 40. This recess may beprovided simply by making a saw cut across the projection 24.

In assembling the valve and rocker arm assembly made according to thisinvention, the rocker arm 8 is simply laid in position on the push rod 4and valve stem 6. Cover plate 26 is then put in place so that thebearing surface of projection 24 engages the arcuate bearing 22 on therocker arm. The cover plate is then secured in place by means of the capscrews.

As oil is fed under pressure into the passage 34 in push rod 4, some ofthe oil serves to lubricate the bearing surface in bearing l4, and someof the oil squirts out from passage 38 and is projected through therecess 4|] across to the top of valve stem 6.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a hollow valve push rod having arounded end, a valve, a valve assembly cover plate, a projection on thecover plate, the projection having a bearing surface, a rocker armhaving its fulcrum on the bearing surface and one end in position toactuate the valve, and a concave bearing in the other end of the rockerarm positioned to cooperate with the rounded end of the push rod andbeing provided with an oil passage which communicates with the hollow ofthe push rod and which is open in the direction of the other rocker arm,the projection on the cover plate being recessed to permit oil to beprojected from the concave bearing across to the other end of the rockerarm.

2. A rocker arm for an internal combustion engine, comprising a pair ofspaced metallic strips disposed on edge and having their ends curvedtowards each other and joined together to form an elongated closed loop,a bearing at each end of the loop, and a separate arcuately shapedbearing member bridging said spaced strips and secured to the sides ofthe loop between the ends, said sides of the loop formed with an arcuaterecessed upper edge receiving said arcuately shaped bearing member, oneof said end bearings having an oil passage opening onto the bearingsurface, the other end of the oil passage opening in the side of thebearing which faces the other end of the rocker arm and disposed toproject lubricating oil through the space between the said stripstowards the other end of said rocker arm.

3. A rocker arm for an internal combustion engine, comprising a pair ofspaced metallic strips disposed on edge and having their ends curvedtowards each other and joined together to form an elongated closed loop,a bearing at each end of the loop, and a separate arcuately ately shapedbearing member, one of said end bearings having an oil passage openingonto the bearing surface, the other end of the oil passage opening inthe side of the bearing which faces the otherend of'the rockerarm anddisposed to project lubricating oil through the space between the saidstrips towards the other end of said rocker arm, said looped rocker armstructure having an open space between said strips on both sides of saidbearing member through which said sprayed lubricating oil may pass, saidengine passage disposed above saidbearing plate to permit passage of oilprojected from one end of the rocker arm to the other end of said rockerarm.

CARL F. BACHLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

